1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a support designed to fit within a conventional shoe and concurrently engage predetermined portions of the undersurface of the foot and thereby add support thereto in an effort to overcome certain foot disorders.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well recognized in the medical profession that certain stresses are placed on the foot resulting in the exertion of certain unbalanced forces being placed thereon. This in turn frequently results in pain and discomfort of the foot which at least to some extent, may be attributable to the wearing of modern day shoes. In particular, women frequently wear what is commonly known as "high heel" shoes which place an unbalanced force on various portions of the foot and which serve to effectively force the toes of the foot into a very stressed position. In order to overcome many of these problems, various braces and/or supports have been developed which have a tendency to balance out the unequal forces.
For example, Burns U.S. Pat. No. 2,081,474; discloses a cuboid-metatarsal arch support assembly defined by a pad preferably of a soft rubber material extending across the support and increasing in width from the back to the first metatarsal and to the fifth metatarsal as well as other designated and intended portions of the foot. The pad support structure does in fact fit in the interior of a shoe and engages the under portion of the foot at various portions.
Castellanos, U.S. Pat. No 4,571,857; discloses a foot support for use in foot wear which are molded of polypropylene sheet and include a network of longitudinal and transverse reinforcing ribs integrally molded with the support and extending across an arch-supporting area thereof. The ribs as well as the other components of the molded structure serve to resist stresses on the support during wear and maintain the shape of the support without adversely affecting its resiliency.
Sigle, U.S. Pat. No. 4,317,293; discloses a foot-supporting insole type structure having a front bounding line extending in front of the ball of the little toe at the outside of the foot and behind the ball of the big toe at the inside of the foot. The structure is made of resiliently elastic material of substantially constant thickness and is constructed so that it is curved upwardly at the inside of the foot and further includes stiffness of the insole at least at the outside zone thereof.
Accordingly, the structures disclosed in the above-noted patents are ample evidence that numerous attempts have been made throughout the prior art to solve problems of the problem patients with foot pain or disorders. As set forth above, some of the mentioned disorders are caused by an unbalanced force being continuously or repetitively placed on the foot due to walking in modern day shoes which may be rather restrictive in configuration and structure. It is of course understood that not all of the pain and attendant difficulties with the foot are attributable to modern day footwear. However, the utilization of a properly structured brace or support assembly, whether it be attached directly to the foot or, in a preferred embodiment, used as an insole type structure, and further used on a substantially continuous basis would greatly aid in the elimination of pain and/or other major and minor discomforts associated with the foot.